Double Crossed
by ScorpioGirl1987
Summary: REVAMPED DUE TO CORY/FINN'S DEATH. After James adamantly refuses to turn himself in, Neal, Diana, Mozzie, and Elizabeth are out of options. But when Neal's estranged younger brother moves to New York, things may look up. Problem 1: Neal's brother thinks he's dead. Problem 2: James may have gotten to him first. Who will prevail?
1. Chapter 1

**One day...I will get an idea to write a standalone White Collar fanfiction. LOL Until then, you guys are gonna have to deal with all these White Collar/Glee crossovers.**

****To say that Elizabeth Burke was upset would be an understatement. She was on her way to NYPD to see her husband who has just been convicted of murder- of a US Senator. She didn't want to believe it, but she had to get his side of the story. Peter was one of the most by-the-book men she's ever known.

She was lead to a single jail cell where Peter sat with his head in his hands. "Burke! You have a visitor."

Peter stood and walked to the bars. "El."

"I'll leave you two alone." The guard said and left.

El watched the guard leave, turned to her husband, and threw her arms out in confusion. "Okay. Where to begin?"

Peter sighed. "James killed Senator Pratt...with my gun with gloves on."

El exhaled and shook her head slowly. "So, I'm guessing you told Calloway, so why are you in prison?"

"They're investigating this off-book." Peter sighed. "The only way to clear my name is to convince James to tell the truth."

"Great." El folded her arms. "I'll go see him and Neal right now."

"El, wait." Peter said. She looked at him. "I'm sorry our sushi night was ruined."

"It's not your fault." El said stiffly. She cleared her throat. "Um...I'll visit you every day until your name is cleared."

"Okay." Peter reached for her hands and they shared a kiss. "See you later, hon."

"See you, hon." El walked away holding back tears.

XXX

Neal looked carefully over the contents of the evidence box. This was enough to send James to prison for his supervisor's (Ryan Buchanan according to the file) murder, but not for Pratt's. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

_'I can't believe Ellen lied to me this entire time. I can't believe_ James _lied to me!'_ He thought in despair. His eyes started burning, and he pressed his palms against them._ 'I should have seen it coming. I should have known he was going to pull something like this!'_

There was a knock on the door and Mozzie walked in. "You will not believe what I just heard. Suit killed Pratt? Really?"

Neal exhaled. "Actually James shot him and framed Peter for the murder. They're investigating this off-book."

Mozzie let out a low whistle. "I knew it, I knew it, I _knew_ the FBI was corrupted!"

"Yeah, and it's not just that." Neal showed him the evidence box. "This actually proves that he killed his supervising officer."

"But Ellen told us he was innocent."

"Apparently he isn't." Neal shrugged and threw the box on the table. "Now Peter's in jail and it's all my fault."

"You do realize you'll go to jail, too, right?" Mozzie raised an eyebrow. "Since Peter went to jail, you're no longer his CI. That means..."

Neal exhaled sharply. "Damn. I didn't think about that." There was another knock on the door. Neal sighed. "That was quick." He stood up and turned to Mozzie. "Moz...please promise me you'll do whatever it takes to clear Peter's name."

Mozzie nodded. "Okay. Sure."

Neal went to open the door. "Diana."

"Hey, Neal." Diana said slightly chipper. She stepped inside. "Oh. I see Mozzie's here. Good."

"Lady Suit." Mozzie nodded.

"Why so chipper?" Neal asked. "Please tell me James turned himself in."

"Not quite." Diana pulled out an ankle bracelet. "I convinced Calloway to hire you on as my CI."

Neal sighed. "Well, that keeps _me_ out of jail."

"Neal, I need to know exactly what James said to you." Diana said.

"He told me it was self-defense. He won't turn himself in because he doesn't want to go back to prison." Neal replied folding his arms. "He also really did kill his supervisor all those years ago."

Diana sighed and bowed her head for a minute, then looked up. "Where is he now?"

"I really don't know." Neal admitted. "He just left."

"And you didn't tie him up and march him to the FBI because...?" Mozzie asked.

"I was in shock, Moz." Neal replied.

"Oh. Well, we still have the evidence box." Mozzie replied. "Maybe we can convict him of his supervisor's murder."

"But it won't convict him for Pratt's." Diana said. "However...we can turn this in to Calloway. At least we'll have a better chance of tracking him, putting out an APB."

"Yeah. Let's do that." Neal nodded.

XXX

Calloway was impressed with the evidence and put out an APB and sent out descriptions to all local and national law enforcement. Neal, Elizabeth, and Diana all kept Peter up-to-date. A few days later, the trail went cold. Or so Neal thought.

One day, Mozzie and Elizabeth, feeling lonely, came to Neal's apartment. They sat around making polite conversation when someone knocked on the door. Neal answered it and was surprised to see his dad.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here." Neal said coldly. He folded his arms.

"_You're_ mad at _me_?" James asked incredulously and stepped inside. "I see you have company."

Before anyone could stop her, Elizabeth folded her arms and glared at James. "And I see you're free...at my husband's expense."

James sighed. "It was self-defense."

"So then why don't you turn yourself in?" Elizabeth demanded. "Is your freedom really more important to you than your son and his friends who have been there when you haven't?" She slapped him hard. "You bastard!" Jame's head whipped to the side and he touched his stinging cheek gingerly. "Tell the FBI the truth! Tell them that you shot Senator Pratt!"

"And why the hell would I want to do that? So I can go back to prison?" James shot back.

"You're going to be sent to prison anyway for the murder of Ryan Buchanan." Neal said. "The evidence box has been handed over to the FBI."

James' eyes widened. "You traitorous bastard."

"Must run in the family." Neal snarked.

"You might as well tell them you're the one who killed Pratt. They're gonna find out you did eventually." Mozzie stepped in.

"Good luck with that." He turned to leave, but Neal stopped him.

"Why did you come here?" Neal asked.

"To ask why the hell you turned in that evidence box into the FBI." James answered.

"Because you wouldn't turn yourself in." Neal stated simply.

James just shook his head. "You'll never take me alive." With that, he left.

Neal sighed and sank into a chair. "Terrific. We can't force the truth out of him."

"Well, now what?" Elizabeth asked.

Before Neal said anything, his phone rang. "Hey, Diana. Guess who showed up at my doorstep."

"James? Is he still there?" Diana asked.

"No. He told us we'll never take him alive and left." Neal replied. "So, we're gonna have to figure out a new way to get through to him."

"Oh, shit. That's not gonna be easy." Diana said. "In other news, we found out where James was for the last week or so. In a place called Lima, Ohio."

Neal froze and his eyes widened. "Diana, what was that city again?"

"Lima." Diana replied. "It's a couple hours north of Cincinnati."

Neal gasped. There would be only one reason James would go to Lima. "Thanks, Diana."

"No problem."

Neal hung up and stared at the phone. Elizabeth stared at her friend curiously. "What's in Lima, Ohio?"

"My brother."


	2. Chapter 2

**_Lima, Ohio_**

**_One year ago…_**

Neal walked up to the Anderson's door and knocked. Blaine answered, and his face broke into a huge grin.

"Coop!" Blaine exclaimed and pulled him into a hug. "It's good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too, Blainey." Neal cupped Blaine's face in his hands and sighed. "Can I come in?"

"Sure! Of course!" Blaine stepped aside to let him in. They moved to the living room and sat on the couch. "So, what brings you back to Lima? Did you get the part?"

"No." Neal replied, shaking his head. "Actually, I came to give you this." He pulled out a photo of a younger Neal holding baby Blaine. "I wanted you to have a reminder of a time when I wasn't such an ass to you."

"Coop…" Blaine shook his head slowly. "Why are you giving this to me now?"

Neal shrugged. "I was just feeling melancholy."

Blaine was about to respond, when his phone rang. "Oh. It's Kurt, but…" He hesitated, staring at his brother.

"Go for it." Neal said encouragingly. "I'll find something else to do."

"Are you sure? 'Cause…"

"Yeah, I'm sure!" Neal smiled and waved.

Blaine nodded. "Okay."

XX

Later that night, Neal crept into Blaine's room while Blaine was asleep. He gently shook him awake. "Blaine, wake up."

Blaine snorted lightly and jumped slightly. He blinked his eyes open. He was half-asleep. "Coop? What's wrong?"

"Blaine, I want you to know that…no matter what happens, you're my brother. I will always love you." He pulled him into a hug. "Everything I do is to protect you." He sighed and pulled away. "No matter how hard things get, never forget who you are."

Blaine, who was half-asleep, nodded and fell back onto his pillow. "Mm-hmm. Okay, Coop."

Neal sighed quietly and held back tears. He ruffled Blaine's hair slightly and left the room.

XXX

The next morning, Blaine woke up, yawned, stretched, and got dressed. Kurt was going to take him out for breakfast. The doorbell rang as he ran downstairs.

"Hey!" Blaine greeted. He and Kurt shared a kiss. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you, too." Kurt smiled. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Blaine turned when his home phone rang. He sighed heavily. "It could be my parents."

"Okay. Go ahead." Kurt said.

Blaine nodded and ran to the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this the home of Cooper Anderson?" The caller asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"We found a body in a burnt up car on the highway. We think it might be Cooper." Blaine's stomach dropped and his knees buckled. "Can you come down to the morgue to identify the body?"

Blaine swallowed and nodded. "Y-yeah." He hung up. His hands shook. No…Coop can't be dead. He can't…

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Blaine sniffed. "They found a body. It might be Cooper's."

XXX

On the way to the morgue, Blaine kept trying to call Cooper on his cell. He didn't answer. Kurt pulled into a parking spot and turned to his boyfriend.

"What if it is him?" Blaine asked quietly.

Kurt reached over and squeezed his hand comfortingly. "Then I'll help you get through it. I know what it's like to lose someone. I'll be there for you. Now, come on." He dropped Blaine's hand, got out, went around to open Blaine's door, and offered his hand. They walked hand in hand into the morgue.

Someone lead them to a dimly lit room. A body lay still under a sheet on a table. Blaine walked closer to it and swallowed back sobs. He nodded for the attendant to pull down the sheet. Kurt put his arm around Blaine's waist. Blaine broke down sobbing as he saw his brother on the table, dead.

"Coop…" He choked out. He turned and cried in Kurt's arms.

XXX

_**Present day**_

Blaine sniffed and shed a few tears as he stared down at that picture Cooper gave him. It has been almost one year since his death, and it still affected him. Someone knocked on his bedroom door.

"There's my favorite graduate." His mom smiled. "You all packed?"

"Yeah. There's still a few more things to pack, but…" Blaine shrugged and smiled. He was going to move to New York to live with Kurt, Rachel, and Santana.

Nicole Anderson smiled, nodded, and sat down. "Your brother would have been proud of you."

Blaine bowed his head and swallowed back a lump. "I miss him."

Nicole pulled him into a hug. "I know, baby. I miss him, too." They pulled apart. Nicole took a deep breath. "Honey, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while." Blaine nodded to show he's listening. "Derek isn't your real father."

Blaine stared at his mother in shock. "Uh….wait…what? What do you mean? Am I adopted, or…?"

"No. Not by me, anyway. I am your real mother." Nicole said, holding a hand to her chest. "Your real father…when Cooper was just three years old, he…he killed a cop." She swallowed hard. "I tried to keep this from Cooper, but he found out, anyway. That's why I'm telling you the truth."

Blaine exhaled as he took it all in. "Why…did he…?"

"I'm not sure of all the details." Nicole shrugged. "Anyway, I filed for divorce, but…twelve years later, he showed up again. He convinced me he had changed. We slept together and I ended up pregnant with you. He left, and a few weeks later, I met Derek."

Blaine shook his head slowly. Man, it was like a freaking soap opera! "Does…Coop know the whole story?"

"Yes, he does." Nicole nodded. "Also…when your dad went on the run, Cooper and I were placed in the Witness Protection Program. Only…his name wasn't Cooper. His real name is Neal George Bennet. He took my maiden name-Caffrey when he turned eighteen."

"Oh…wow…uh…wow." Blaine ran his hands through his hair. "Is my name really Blaine?"

"Yes." Nicole nodded. "However, my name really isn't Nicole- it's Ashleigh. I'm sorry. I know it's a lot to take in."

"No kidding." Blaine looked up. "Are we still in Witness Protection?"

"Yes. That means you can't tell anyone- not even Kurt- what I just told you." Nicole said firmly. "You may tell him that Derek isn't your real father and your real father is a bad guy. Nothing more."

"Okay." Blaine nodded. "I promise I'll only tell him that much. Trust me- I learned my lesson on telling people things I shouldn't have."

Nicole laughed softly. "Good. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

XXX

Later, Kurt and Blaine went to the Lima Bean for one last hurrah before they move Blaine to New York.

"You're quiet." Kurt noticed.

"No, I'm being passive-aggressive." Blaine joked. They both chuckled. "Just…my mom told me that my dad isn't my real dad."

Kurt was shocked. "Really? Then who is your real dad?"

"She didn't go into details, but…yeah." Blaine shook his head.

"What aren't you telling me?" Kurt asked, leaning towards him.

"My mom told me not to tell anyone." Blaine replied. "Kurt, I trust you with my life…but this is one thing I can't tell you."

Kurt studied Blaine's expression. He was pleading with his eyes to understand. Kurt finally just nodded and sighed. "Okay. I mean, just as long as it won't affect our relationship in any way."

"It won't." Blaine promised. He took Kurt's hand and squeezed it. "I won't let it."

"Good." Kurt smiled. He let go and reached into his bag for something. "Now…I have a little graduation present for you."

"Aww. You didn't have to get me anything." Blaine smiled lovingly.

"I know. But this is something you'll need in New York." Kurt gave him a wrapped box.

"Hmm." Blaine picked the box up and playfully shook it gently near his ear, earning a laugh from Kurt. Inside was a key, a metro pass, and some business cards. "Oh, wow."

"That," Kurt pointed to the key. "is your key to the loft in Bushwick. Since you'll be moving in, might as well make it official. You're gonna need a metro pass to get around, and finally, those business cards are the places that are hiring for the summer. You're gonna need a job."

"You think of everything." Blaine shook his head in amazement. "Thank you. I'll apply to all these stores when I get home."

"You're welcome." They stood up to hug each other.

XXX

"Blaine Devon Anderson."

Ashleigh, Derek, and Kurt stood and cheered as Blaine went to get his diploma. He spotted a man in his early sixties standing in the back smiling down at him. Who was that?

XX

After the ceremony, Blaine's parents and Kurt caught up with him. His mother hugged him tightly, crying softly. "Oh! You're so grown up now." She pulled away and sighed. "I'm so sorry I missed out."

"It's okay. Really." Blaine assured her.

"Okay. Picture time!" Ashleigh said brightening up. She pulled out her camera and turned to Kurt. "Kurt, would you mind?"

"Oh, of course not." Kurt said. He set up the camera as Ashleigh and Derek stood on each side of Blaine and put their arms around him. "Un, deux, trois!"

"All right, now you two." Ashleigh took the camera back and took a picture of Kurt and Blaine together.

"Do I get one?" They all turned to see James standing near them, smiling.

Ashleigh nearly dropped her camera. "James? What are you doing here?"

"I didn't want to miss my only surviving son's graduation." James shrugged a little.

"You're my dad?" Blaine asked.

Kurt looked around at the family, feeling slightly out of place and uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and turned to Blaine. "I'm gonna go congratulate Sam, Tina, and Artie."

"Okay." Blaine said to Kurt. He turned back to James.

James turned to Ashleigh. "I know I haven't been there. But I want to get to know Blaine better."

"Why now? You've had eighteen years. So, why now?" Ashleigh asked.

James stared at Ashleigh for a moment. "We both lost Cooper. I never spent any time with him, and I regret it. I don't want the same to happen with Blaine."

Blaine smiled at that. He seems like a nice guy now. "Sure. I'd really like that."

Ashleigh glanced at Blaine and sighed. She did not want to take the risk of Blaine getting hurt, but…well…he has to grow up sometime, right? She pulled James aside. "Don't hurt him, please. He's been through enough."

"I won't. I promise." James assured her. Ashleigh nodded, but was still skeptical.

XXX

"So, New York, huh?"

The next afternoon, James took Blaine out to lunch. Blaine told him everything about his life and his future plans. Blaine beamed and nodded. "Yeah! I'm going to NYADA in the fall, and I'm going to look for a job."

"Well, check you out!" James complimented. "I'm proud of you."

Blaine smiled and ducked his head. "Thanks. So, do you live in New York, or…?"

"I do, actually." James nodded. "We should hang out sometime."

"Yeah! We should." Blaine said eagerly. He was really started to like spending time with James. He hoped it would all go uphill from there.

XXX

Kurt walked to the door as he heard the doorbell rang. "Mrs. Anderson? Is Blaine okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine." Ashleigh replied. "I actually came to ask a favor of you."

"Okay." Kurt nodded in confusion.

"Despite what James says or does…I don't trust him." Ashleigh stated. "Just…keep an eye on Blaine for me, would you, please?"

"No. I'll keep two eyes on him." Kurt smiled at the reference.

"Thanks." Ashleigh pulled him into a hug. "My son is lucky to have you."

XXX

Neal walked to a holding cell at the prison to visit Peter. He couldn't help smiling at the irony of the situation.

"You getting a sense of Déjà vu?" Neal asked as they sat down.

Peter chuckled. "Ah, the good ol' days when you were the prisoner."

"How are you coping?" Neal wondered.

Peter exhaled sharply. "Well, I nearly got beat up by Pratt-supporters and the next night, someone tried to rape me- and if you repeat that to anyone, I will castrate you."

Neal raised his hands. "My lips are sealed. You know, you can ask to be put in the gay tank or solitary confinement."

"I did. I'm being moved tomorrow." Peter replied. "So, are we any closer to James admitting to Pratt's murder?"

"No." Neal shook his head sadly. "Actually, I think it's about to get worse and bigger."

"How?" Peter asked in surprise.

"There's something I should have told you years ago." Neal said. "Please understand, the reason I never told you this is because I wanted to protect him."

"'Him'?" Peter raised his eyebrows.

"My brother, Blaine." Neal replied. "My dad came back temporarily when I was twelve. One thing led to another, and Blaine was created."

Peter nodded. "Okay. Why bring him up now?"

"Because James was in Ohio this past week. The same city where Blaine lives." Neal explained. "I did a little digging. Blaine enrolled in New York Academy for Dramatic Arts for the fall and he's moving in with his boyfriend and two friends."

"And you think James might use him?" Peter guessed.

"Yep. Which means we have to get to him first, which won't be easy."

"Why?"

"He thinks I'm dead." Neal replied. "Kramer was after me. I couldn't put Blaine in danger."

"And now you think he might be." Peter guessed.

"You know me so well." Neal responded sarcastically.

"Yes I do." Peter chuckled. "So, how are you planning on getting to your brother, who thinks you're dead?"

"I don't know." Neal admitted. "There must be some way…."


	3. Chapter 3

"But there will be an arraignment, right? Like a Grand Jury hearing?" Elizabeth was on the phone with hers and Peter's lawyer, Justin Jackson.

"Of course. But since the FBI is investigating this off-book, it'll be a lot harder to do." He said. "Pretty much the only way they'll investigate is if they knew Pratt was corrupted or if his real killer- James Bennet was it?- comes forward."

Elizabeth huffed in frustration. "Great."

"How are you doing, by the way? I know this can't be easy for you."

"How am I doing?" Elizabeth repeated. "Well, aside from the fact that I'm losing clients, parting crowds, and basically being punished for something my husband didn't do, I am doing great."

"Well, hang in there. I'm sure it'll all be over soon."

"Yeah…" She sighed. "Me, too. Thanks, Justin. Talk to you later."

"All right. Bye-bye."

Elizabeth hung up and sat at her table and opened her day planner. Several events were crossed out but one. That particular one is for a party at the Hilton Hotel two weeks from Saturday hosted by the chief editor and designer Isabelle Wright. Just then, her phone rang. It was Isabelle Wright calling. Elizabeth bit back a dreaded groan.

"Burke Premiere Events, this is Elizabeth."

"Hi, Elizabeth, this is Isabelle Wright. I'm calling to confirm the date, time, and place of my party." Isabelle said.

Elizabeth was surprised and relieved. "Yes, uh it's on Saturday the twenty-ninth at the Hilton Hotel. Is there any specific cuisine you request?"

"Yeah. I'll have my secretary fax it to you. There are a few people who are diabetic, one who's lactose intolerant, and a couple of vegetarians." Isabelle replied.

"All right, I'll adjust the menu to accommodate your needs. All I need is a guest list so I can arrange the tables." Elizabeth replied.

"Okay. My secretary will fax them to you."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Bye."

Elizabeth hung up with her spirits lifted. At least she has one client left. And hey, who knows? If this Isabelle Wright loves her catering, she'll tell all her friends about it. The doorbell rang. At the door, stood a tall, thin woman with wavy blonde hair and a murderous glare.

"Can I help you?" Elizabeth asked.

"You can actually." The woman said with controlled anger. "You can tell me why the hell your husband murdered my husband in cold blood!"

Elizabeth stared at the woman, her heart quickening and stomach dropping. "You're Senator Pratt's widow."

"That's right." The woman stormed past Elizabeth and into the house. "Eileen Jane Drake-Pratt."

"…Elizabeth Burke." Elizabeth introduced herself. "Um, listen, Ms. Pratt, I am sorry for your loss, but, my husband did not kill him. He was framed."

"The FBI told me your husband's prints were on the murder weapon!" Eileen cried angrily and pointed a finger at Elizabeth. "You can lie to yourself all you want, but don't you_ dare_ lie to me!"

"I'm not." Elizabeth remained calm. "Peter was framed. He wouldn't kill an innocent man."

Eileen scoffed and shook her head. "Terrence _was_ an innocent man! He always tucked our children in at night and read them stories. He nursed our grandbaby to health when he should have been at work! He was my son's and granddaughter's hero! Do you have children?"

"No."

"How would you feel…if you did have a child, and Peter was their hero, and someone took him away from them?" Eileen asked, getting choked up. She sniffed. "Terrence was my soulmate. The love of my life, whom I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And your husband killed him! I hope he gets the worst punishment possible. I want him to pay!"

Just then, Neal walked through the open door. "Ladies. Everything all right here?"

Eileen sighed, cleared her throat, and turned to Neal. "They wouldn't let me see my husband's murderer, so I settled for the next best thing." She turned back to Elizabeth and pulled out a binder. "This is a little something about what an amazing man my husband was that my daughter put together. I want you to show this to your husband so that he knows what he took from this planet. He owes my family that much." She thrust the binder into Elizabeth's chest and stormed out, slamming the door.

Elizabeth slowly sank onto the couch and placed the binder on the coffee table. She held her head in her hands and moaned slightly and sniffed. Neal sat next to her and held her comfortingly.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault." Neal said.

Elizabeth exhaled. "No…it's not. Your dad could've chosen not to kill Pratt."

"Yeah, I guess that's true, too." Neal nodded. "Pratt was an arrogant dick, but, I guess I knew there'd be someone who will miss him terribly if he dies."

Elizabeth nodded. "The way Pratt's widow talked about him… he was a good man in her eyes. She obviously didn't know him that well."

"Yeah. That's what evil and corrupt men do. They hide who they are to their families, but on the job…" Neal shrugged.

"I just can't wait for this whole mess to be over." Elizabeth leaned against the armrest and put her head in her palm and her elbow on the armrest.

"Me neither. People shouldn't punish you for what they think your husband did." Neal commented.

"Yeah, but, think about how they'll treat _you_ after the truth comes out. Your dad killed his supervising officer and a state senator." Elizabeth pointed out. "You'll be severely affected."

Neal sighed quietly and let his shoulders sag. "I won't be the only one." Elizabeth looked at him, strangely. "I have a little brother….Blaine."

"You've never mentioned him." Elizabeth frowned in confusion.

"I wanted to protect him from my enemies in case he's used against me." Neal explained. "Anyway, he graduated from high school in Ohio and he's moving here and is going to school in the fall at New York Academy for Dramatic Arts."

Elizabeth nodded. "Does your dad know about him?"

"Yep. In fact, he was just in Ohio this past week most likely visiting Blaine." Neal replied. He stared off into space thinking….has James corrupted him? Nah….Kurt would turn straight before he let his boyfriend get corrupted.

"Neal?" Elizabeth snapped Neal from his thoughts.

"Sorry." Neal cleared his throat. "I had to fake my death last year to protect Blaine from Kramer."

"So, he thinks you're dead?" Elizabeth's eyes widened. Neal nodded. "Oh…well…this is going to be awkward."

"Yeah, really." Neal shrugged. "Problem is, I don't know where he lives, and I can't go outside my radius or Calloway will get suspicious."

"Ooh, that is a problem." Elizabeth winced. "But why now, though?"

"Well, for one thing, I miss him like crazy." Neal smiled and laughed softly. "Another, I don't want him to get hurt or corrupted by our father."

"So, you're just gonna show up unannounced from the dead?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'll think of something!" Neal exclaimed.

Elizabeth nodded. She stared at the binder, then picked it up and held it on her lap. "Do you think that…if James read this, he'd feel guilty enough to confess?"

Neal shook his head. "He really hated Pratt. He wouldn't care about his family. After all, he doesn't care about his own."

"Sorry." Elizabeth said sincerely.

Neal heaved a big sigh. "It's okay."

XXX

Blaine's first week living in his new, shared apartment was a great one. Rachel, Santana, and Kurt threw him a "Welcome To The Loft" party. He is, of course, sharing a room with Kurt. They rearranged the apartment a little to create a smaller, third bedroom for Santana. Currently, Blaine started planning dinner. He wanted to cook his roommates dinner in appreciation for letting him live with them, despite Kurt's protests. He got most of what he wanted to when someone knocked on the door. Blaine jumped up. "I'll get it!" He excitedly walked to the door. His first time answering the door…at his apartment! He opened the door to a smiling James. "Dad! What are you doing here?" Blaine hugged James.

"Well, I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I'd stop by to see my son's digs." James replied. He held up a box. "Bought you a housewarming gift."

"Oh, you didn't have to." Blaine grinned and took the box. They sat on the couch.

Kurt walked from his room. "Oh. I thought I heard you, James."

"Hi, Kurt. Nice place you got here." James complimented.

"Thanks." Kurt replied. "What do you have there?"

"Oh, my dad got me a housewarming present." Blaine explained.

"Really?" Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Well, open it!"

Blaine chuckled and unwrapped the gift. Inside was a framed photo of himself, James, and Cooper. He sighed and got choked up. "Dad…how did you do this?"

"I have pretty good photoshop skills." James replied. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" Blaine hugged James, who chuckled. "Thanks, Dad. This is the best gift you could give me."

Kurt picked up the photo and smiled at it. "This is amazing."

"Why thank you, Kurt." James replied.

"Hello, boys." Santana greeted in a fake British accent. "Oh, hey, didn't mean to interrupt your 'River Runs Through It' reenactment."

Kurt bowed and shook his head, stood up, and put an arm around Santana's shoulders. "Excuse her. This is our friend Santana."

James just smiled, stood up, and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Santana."

"Nice to meet you, too." Santana said a little too cheesily. For some reason, she felt like he was hiding something. "Hey, do you guys mind if I borrow Kurt for a minute?"

"Sure." James put a hand on Blaine's shoulder. "I need to talk to my boy alone, anyway."

"All right." Santana dragged Kurt into her room. She closed the curtain, but she poked her head out to eavesdrop.

"What are you doing?" Kurt hissed quietly.

"Shh. I don't trust him." Santana whispered back.

Kurt sighed in dismay, but joined her anyway. "I don't like this."

Santana rolled her eyes. 'Whatever…'

XX

Blaine and James sat back on the couch. "So, what'd you want to talk to me about?"

James heaved a melancholy sigh. "Well…this is hard for me to say. Especially since we're just getting to know each other."

Blaine started to get worried. "Okay…"

"I have prostate cancer…and it's spreading." James said solemnly.

Blaine's stomach dropped. Chills ran up and down his spine and a lump formed in his throat. No…this can't happen. He was just getting to know his real father. Now he has cancer? Blaine swallowed. "I can't believe this. It's not fair."

"Yeah, well…" James sighed. "Life's not fair."

In Santana's room, Kurt was beginning to get suspicious. Burt may have been cured of prostate cancer (which they caught early anyway), but he knows a little something about it. It is painful and sometimes you lose weight or get spots on your skin and dark circles under your eyes…

"Bitch, you do not have prostate cancer." Kurt muttered under his breath. Santana glanced at him. "I gotta get out there." He stood and walked into the living room. James and Blaine glanced at him. Kurt cleared his throat. "Sorry. Just…heading to my room now." He studied their faces. "Everything okay?"

Blaine sighed and stood up. "My dad told me he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It's spreading."

Kurt mocked shock and concern. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry." He pulled Blaine into a tight hug. "Especially you, James. You must be in a lot of pain."

"I have a pretty high threshold." James lied.

"Oh. Well, that's good." Kurt smiled. "I hope you're getting the best treatment possible."

"I am. I have the best oncologist in the city." James slowly stood up to keep his cover.

"Really? Who?" Kurt wondered.

James paused before answering. "Dr. Terrance Phelps."

Kurt nodded. "Oh. If you don't mind my asking, what stage are you in?"

"Whoa. Why the interrogation?" Blaine asked.

Kurt shrugged. "I'm just curious. I know how much he means to you. I'm just trying to help is all."

"Well, if you must know, I'm in stage three." James replied.

"Oh. Well, that's not so bad. That means your Gleason score should be…what- between eleven and twenty?" Kurt asked.

"Yep." James smiled.

_'Liar. Your Gleason score should only be between two and ten.'_ Kurt thought.

"Well, is there anything I can do?" Blaine asked.

_'Oh, God, Blaine, I_ really _wish you hadn't asked that….'_ Kurt thought with dread.

James sighed and shook his head. "Well, unless you have about twenty grand on you for medical bills, I'm afraid there's not much you can do."

"Well, I don't have that much, but…" Blaine started to say.

"Um, wait…surely there's a medical insurance company that pays for people with little money. Right?" Kurt jumped in. He was not about to let someone con his boyfriend. "Medicaid? Medicare?"

"Oh, I don't qualify for either." James lied.

"Really? Why?" Kurt asked.

"Okay, Kurt, you're starting to sound like Santana." Blaine said.

Santana pushed aside her curtain and glared at Blaine. "I heard that, Hobbit."

"Sorry, Santana." Blaine said sincerely.

"Hmm." Santana just folded her arms.

"Look, my stepdad moved all my funds to a bank here in New York." Blaine said to James. "I could write you a check."

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that." James exclaimed. "What about college? Food? Rent? Taking your boyfriend out on dates?"

"Oh. Kurt understands." Blaine turns to Kurt. "Don't you, honey?"

Kurt nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

"Kurt's dad had prostate cancer, too."

Kurt stiffened. _'Damn it, Blaine!'_ "Yeah, but, they caught it early and he's in remission."

"Really? Well, good for him." James smiled. "Maybe he can give me advice on how to cope."

"Maybe." Kurt smiled. "So, how are you going to pay Blaine back?"

"I'll get a job. Maybe I'll become a bus or taxi driver or something." James shrugged.

Kurt nodded. "Sounds good."

"Okay, I will write you a check right now." Blaine ran into his room.

Kurt turned to James and gave him a hard stare. "Well….this is definitely depressing. You are just getting to know your surviving son and you all of a sudden get diagnosed with cancer. If you really do have cancer, anyway."

"I do. What proof do you have that I don't have cancer?" James asked, trying to stay calm.

"Nothing concrete." Kurt shrugged. "But, let me tell you something right now: I am pretty good with sai swords. So, I _really_ hope you're telling us the truth about your illness."

Santana conspicuously walked to the kitchen to pour herself a drink. Blaine came from his and Kurt's room holding a check.

"All right, here you go." Blaine said, smiling. "Get the best treatment possible."

"I will. Thank you." James smiled and hugged Blaine. "Mm. I promise I'll pay you back."

"Oh, that's not necessary. I just care that you're healthy." Blaine said.

James chuckled and patted Blaine on the shoulder. "You are too kind."

"Oh, thank you." Blaine smiled modestly.

"I'll call you with an update." James replied. He left.

"Wait- that's it?" Santana commented. "No bonding over family memories? Or watching football? That's what the Urts did!"

"One, it was Christmastime anyway; two, Burt and Kurt have known each other Kurt's entire life." Blaine put his hands on his hips and turned to Santana. "I barely know my dad. Not much family bonding to go on."

"Plus, it's not football season." Kurt chimed in. "But, Santana does have a point, Blaine. I don't think your dad has cancer."

"Based on what?" Blaine asked in shock.

"Well, for one thing, if you have stage three prostate cancer, your score should only be between 2 and 10, not 11 and 20. Another thing, he does not look sick or in pain!" Kurt replied.

"Neither did your dad when he got sick!" Blaine cried in frustration. He sobered up when he saw Kurt's hurt and angry expression. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used your dad like that."

"Yeah, you shouldn't have." Kurt snapped. "Blaine, I'm just looking out for you. Isn't that what you wanted from me in the first place?"

"Yes, but I also wanted you to support me. I guess that's just too much for you, isn't it?"

"I _am_ supportive of you! It's just that…" Kurt sighed in frustration. "James is shady and suspicious. I mean, he just shows up, tells you he has cancer, you give him money and he leaves just like that?"

"Come on, he's harmless."

"That's exactly what you said about Sebastian!" Kurt nearly shouted. "Look how that turned out!"

"So, that's it? I make one mistake and suddenly I'm branded for life?" Blaine asked. "You were a total stranger when we met, you turned out to be a spy for New Directions, and just look at us now?"

"I didn't try to steal money from you, though!" Kurt exclaimed.

"Okay… but, seriously, Kurt? My dad lied to me about having cancer to make me feel bad for him, and I'd give him money? Who does that?" Blaine asked.

"James, apparently." Santana quipped.

"Santana…." Kurt and Blaine glared at her. "Stay out of this!" They both said simultaneously.

"Look, Kurt…" Blaine sighed again. "Why are you so suspicious?"

"I just told you why!" Kurt threw his arms out in frustration. "Why can't you accept what I'm telling you?"

"Because it's crazy, and because I don't want it to be true!" Blaine admitted. He exhaled sharply. He shook his head. "I just…I need a break."

"From me? Really? Just because I'm being cautious?" Kurt asked, shocked.

Blaine shook his head and brought his hands up. "I just need to be with my father right now. I'm gonna stay at the hotel with him until we find an apartment." He stormed to his room.

Kurt sighed and held onto the back of a chair. How could this happen? One minute they were happy, and the next…. His eyes started to sting, and a huge lump formed in Kurt's throat. He should probably go after Blaine, but…they're both too upset right now.

Santana sighed, put her glass in the sink, and headed to Blaine's room. Blaine was packing a duffel bag. Santana folded her arms and leaned against a wall. "So, question…. who are you willing to believe? Some guy you barely know or your boyfriend whom you've known for a few years?"

"He's my father, Santana."

"Not all dads are like Burt, though." Santana reminded him. "Look…I have something called a psychic Mexican third eye. It never fails. Every time it sees something or senses trouble, it's always right. Just ask Rachel or your friend Marley."

Blaine just rolled his eyes and zipped his bag. "I appreciate your concern, but this is none of your business. Good-bye."

Santana sighed and followed him out. She could see the light on in the bathroom and heard faint sniffing._ 'Well, I guess it's up to me to snuff James out. If that's his real name.'_ She marched into her room, opened her laptop, and pulled up a search engine and searched "James Bennett". After a few minutes, she came across a news article about him that was posted recently. As she read it, her eyes widened in horror. She grabbed the laptop and practically ran to Kurt's room where Kurt was on his bed, clutching his boyfriend pillow.

"Go away, Santana." Kurt said dully.

"Can't. This is too important." Santana flopped on Kurt's bed. Kurt groaned in frustration. "It's about James."

Kurt sat up, giving Santana his undivided attention. "Go on."

"I found an interesting news article about him." Santana showed him the article. "Apparently, he's a wanted fugitive who killed a cop."

"Oh my God…" Kurt shook his head slowly. Blaine is going to be so crushed when he hears this. He's going to be so hurt. He couldn't let that happen. Kurt pulled out his phone. "How long ago did he leave?"

"About twenty minutes." Santana replied.

Kurt sighed. There was a subway station about five minutes from their loft. Blaine's phone doesn't work underground. He could take a cab there, but, it's so expensive. He pulled up the subway schedule. "Okay, I need to get to New York."

"Do you know what hotel James says he's staying at?" Santana asked.

Kurt stopped. "No. But at least I'll be in New York. I'll find him somehow."

XXXX

Blaine walked into the Fairmark Hotel and headed to the counter. There was a line, but it wasn't too crowded.

"How can I help you?" The lady said in a dull tone.

"Hi. James Bennet's room, please." Blaine said. "He's my dad."

The clerk looked up the name on her computer. "I'm sorry, your dad checked out this morning."

Blaine's face fell. What the hell? "Oh. Did he say where he was going?"

"Nope. Next!"

Blaine slowly walked through the lobby. Strange…why didn't he tell him he checked out? Where is he? Blaine pulled out his phone and called James' cell phone.

"I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service…"

Blaine hung up and stared at the phone. James just barely called him that morning. Why is his phone no longer in service? He started to panic. He spotted a phone book and ran to look up Terrence Phelps. There was no Terrence Phelps listed. Blaine's heart started thumping in his chest. He checked his bank account on his phone and found it had already been emptied.

His father screwed him over.

He got into a huge fight with his boyfriend.

He has no job, no money, and no home.

Blaine put a hand to his mouth to muffle his crying. He stood up, grabbed his duffel, and walked outside. He walked until he couldn't any more, and walked into an alley. He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. He couldn't face Kurt right now. Blaine hugged his knees and started shaking with sobs.

XXX

Meanwhile, Elizabeth scanned the guest list for Isabelle's Vogue party. A certain name caught her eye. Kurt Hummel's plus one

Blaine Anderson.

Elizabeth gasped and called Neal. "Neal. What did you say your brother's name is?"

"Blaine Anderson. Why?" Neal asked.

"I found a way for you to see him again without Calloway knowing and without going outside your radius."


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt ran up the stairs into the blinding sunlight. He went into the nearest business (which was a small café) and pulled out his phone to call Blaine. No answer.  
He really missed Finn right now. A few days after Blaine's senior prom, Rachel was driving Finn to his parent's house from Lima University, since Finn's car was in the shop. Their car was ran off the road onto a lower street. Rachel nearly broke her spine dragging Finn out, but it was too late. Finn succumbed to his injuries and died in her arms. Rachel was a wreck for weeks until Kurt and Santana staged an intervention and helped her through her grief. She's slowly but surely moving on.

Anyway, Kurt searched for Blaine's phone with his friend finder application, and his eyes widened in horror.

XXX

Blaine sighed and let his legs unfold and sink to the ground. He was emotionally drained and exhausted from everything that happened. He checked his phone which revealed two missed calls from Kurt. He just shook his head and set his phone down. He needed more time to think.

"Hey, kid. You lost?" Blaine turned his head to see a tall, stocky man in his twenties staring down at him.

"No…I live here."

"Kind of a rough neighborhood." The man said and leaned against a wall. He noticed Blaine's duffel bag. "So, I'm guessing you either ran away from home, or you got kicked out."

"Ran away." Blaine answered. "I'm Blaine."

"Nice to meet you, Blaine. I'm Travis." Travis said. He checked Blaine out creepily.

XXX

Meanwhile, Diana and Neal were driving to the scene of their current case. Neal went over the plan to meet Blaine at the party.

"So, let me get this straight." Diana said, pulling to a stoplight. "Mozzie is going to pretend to be a waiter, 'accidentally' spill wine on Blaine, causing him to go to the bathroom, and you're going to appear in a stall?"

"Yeah. I know it's kind of lame, but, it's subtle." Neal shrugged.

"Hmm. What if Blaine rents his tuxedo because he doesn't have the money to buy one, and he can't return it because it's soiled?" Diana asked, smiling a little.

"I…will offer to buy it for him." Neal smiled. "…Okay, I'll admit: not the best plan."

"Why not just wait until he has to actually use the restroom?" Diana suggested. "Much cleaner."

Neal chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you have a point there."

Diana nodded. "Okay, so, back to our case: apparently the jewel thief hid the stolen jewels inside his store in plain sight."

"All righty. Let's play a game called 'how fast can Neal spot the fakes'!" Neal laughed. He twirled his fedora and accidentally dropped it to the floor. "Damn…" He bent down to get it as someone ran into the car.

"Sorry!" The offending pedestrian yelled and sprinted down a street.

Neal looked out the window at the man with recognition. Diana noticed. "Friend of yours, Caffrey?"

"That's Blaine's boyfriend Kurt." Neal answered.

"Hmm. Wonder why he's in such a hurry." Diana wondered.

XXX

Blaine stood up and stretched. "Listen, it's been a long day for me…"

"You're upset about something." Travis guessed. "You look like you could use a little cheering up."

Blaine sighed. It was obvious Travis is not going to go away, so he decided to humor him. He leaned against the wall, his arms folded. "What'd you have in mind?"

Travis stared at Blaine hungrily and stroked his chest. "I think you know."

Blaine's brain set off warning signals. He swallowed and stepped back. "I'm flattered, but, I have a boyfriend."

"You really think it matters?" Travis caressed Blaine's cheek.

Blaine pushed him off and glared at him. "I said no." Blaine picked up his duffel and started walking out of the alley.

"Hey." Travis grabbed Blaine's duffel and pulled him back into the alley. He grabbed Blaine's biceps and pinned him against the wall. "I never take no for an answer."

"Get off me!" Blaine yelled. He tried stamping on Travis' feet and kneeing him in the groin, but he dodged and chuckled. Travis dragged Blaine on his back, pinned his arms down, and straddled him. "Please…don't!" The predator assaulted Blaine's lips with his, causing Blaine to whimper. Travis moved to Blaine's neck. Blaine gasped for air. "Please…" Travis held both of Blaine's hands down with one hand. With his free hand, he untucked Blaine's shirt and ran his hand under it. Blaine suppressed sobs and continued trying to fight him off. He felt like he was being suffocated. Travis undid his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He dug his hand down the back of Blaine's pants and squeezed his bum, causing Blaine to grunt. Travis was about to pull down Blaine's pants, when…

"HEY! GET THE HELL OFF HIM!" Kurt screamed angrily at the attempt rapist. He grabbed Travis by the collar, yanked him up, and threw him against the wall, knocking him unconscious. Kurt panted slowly for breath. His heart was pounding, chest heaving, throat and mouth dry, and he was sweating. He turned to Blaine, who was shaking slightly, relieved it was over. His shirt was up and his pants were undone. Kurt knelt next to Blaine and touched his face gently. "Blaine? Honey, are you okay?"

"Kurt?" Blaine asked quietly, his voice shaking. "You found me."

"I did." Tears were forming in Kurt's eyes. He pulled Blaine's shirt down, buttoned and zipped Blaine's pants, and put his belt back on and pulled Blaine into a hug. "Oh, Blaine…" Blaine sniffed and hugged Kurt back tight. Kurt rubbed his back soothingly. "It's okay. You're okay. You're safe. I'm here. I'm so sorry. I should never have let you leave. At least not alone."

Blaine swallowed. "He stole my money."

Kurt pulled away and looked at Blaine with concern. "Already? Did you go to his hotel?"

"He checked out earlier this morning." Blaine sniffed and sighed. "And…there is no Terrence Phelps. He lied about having cancer, too."

"Oh, Blaine, I'm sorry. I didn't want to be right." Kurt said. "I can't believe that bastard did that to you."

"I probably deserved it." Blaine said quietly.

"What?! No, Blaine, that was the _last_ thing you deserve!" Kurt exclaimed. He squeezed Blaine's hands gently. "You deserve someone who truly cares about you and loves you. And you know what? You have a whole loft full of people like that." He smiled.

Blaine smiled through his tears. "How'd I get so lucky to have a guy like you in my life?"

Kurt chuckled. "Luck had nothing to do with it." They were about to kiss, when they heard a scream of rage. They whipped around to see Travis lunging for them with a crowbar. They ducked, but, Travis was tackled away to the ground by Finn, who punched him unconscious. Kurt stared in shock. Impossible! Finn is dead! Unless...he's a ghost? "Finn?" Finn's ghost nodded and smiled. He turned and walked away. Kurt chased after him, but he disappeared.

"Kurt? What's wrong?" Blaine asked.

Kurt just sighed and shook his head. "Nothing. I just thought I saw..." He didn't finish. Instead, he cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Kurt smiled. "We better hurry before he wakes up again."

XXX

Santana waited for the boyfriends to return. She set down her magazine and stood up as they entered. "Well, that was sooner than I thought it would be. So, what happened?"

"James lied to Blaine about having cancer." Kurt explained. He exhaled sharply. "He stole Blaine's money and disappeared on him. I found Blaine in an alley on 125th street."

Santana gaped in shock and anger. "Why that big fraud! I'll go all Lima Heights on his ass!"

"Santana, it's not your problem." Kurt replied. He lead Blaine to their room. "But thanks, anyway."

XXX

Over the next week; Kurt, Rachel, and Santana worked hard to cheer Blaine up and get his mind off of everything. It seemed to work. Blaine knew his friends and boyfriend meant well, but, your dad lying to you about having cancer, stealing your money, and abandoning you is going to take more than a few days to get over.

The night of Isabelle's Vogue party came. Kurt cheerfully dressed in a suit and threw Blaine's suit on top of him. "Come one, Blaine! Get dressed!"

Blaine sighed. "I'm not sure I'm up for this, Kurt."

"Please? I'll let you wear a funky bowtie." Kurt pouted his lips.

"I'd just bring you down."

"Blaine, come on! You need a night out. You can't mope forever!" Kurt exclaimed. "What if I told you I hired a limo for us?"

Blaine looked up. "Limo?"

"With all your favorite drinks and snacks." Kurt replied. Yes! It's working! "I even included a couple of movies. Trust me: it'll take that long just to get there."

Blaine sighed quietly. He does need to get his mind off of things. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. "Okay. Give me a few minutes."

Kurt squealed, jumped up and down, and clapped his hands. "Yay! I promise you won't regret it." He cupped Blaine's face in his hands and kissed him on the forehead. "Mwah!"

XXX

The hotel was lit up with lights and crystal chandeliers. An usher lead Kurt and Blaine to the brightly lit room where the party was being held.

"Wow! They really went all out." Blaine commented.

"That's Isabelle for you." Kurt chuckled as Isabelle walked towards them all smiles. "Oh, Isabelle! Hey."

"Hey, Kurt! Glad you could make it." Isabelle greeted. They kissed each other on both cheeks.

"Of course! This place looks great." Kurt commented. "Oh! This is my boyfriend Blaine. Blaine, this is my boss and friend Isabelle."

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Blaine smiled and shook her hand.

"Nice to finally meet you too, Blaine. Kurt's told me all about you." Isabelle said.

"Oh, same with you." Blaine replied.

"So, I have you two seated at that table over there." Isabelle pointed to a table near the middle of the room. "Remember, Kurt: this is a social party, not a business party. No work talk."

"I'll try to contain myself." Kurt smirked. He and Blaine headed to the table of eight other people all talking and laughing. "Hey, guys!"

"Oh, hey, Kurt!" Chase greeted, smiling. "You're just in time! We were just debating fictional TV verses reality TV."

Kurt just shook his head and smiled. "Everyone, this is my boyfriend Blaine. Blaine, this is Chase, Larissa, Abigail, Sami, Carson, Liam, Kellan, and Dawn."

"Hi! Nice to finally meet you, Blaine." The woman whom Kurt called Dawn greeted cheerfully. She was average height with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair and green eyes.

"Yeah. Kurt won't shut up about you!" The man Kurt called Liam, who was tall and skinny with longish auburn hair and brown eyes said in an Australian accent. He laughed as Kurt glared at him.

Blaine pulled out a chair for Kurt. "It's nice to finally meet all of you, too."

"So…" The woman Kurt called Abigail, who was about Santana's height with long, wavy, brown hair spoke up. She turned to Kurt and Blaine. "Reality or fiction. What do you guys think?"

"Reality. Fiction is way too over the top and unrealistic." Kurt stated.

"That's why it's called fiction, though!" The man Kurt called Kellan exclaimed. He reminded Blaine of an older Ryder but with longer hair. "It's supposed to be over the top and unrealistic!"

"Oh, totally." The man Kurt called Carson, who was slightly taller than Kurt with messy dark brown hair. "Besides, most reality shows are trashy."

"True that." The woman Kurt called Larissa, who was tall with long light brown hair curled at the bottom nodded.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure those reality shows really are reality." The woman called Sami, who has long, light blonde hair and blue eyes spoke up. She chuckled. "I mean the way they all act."

Kurt giggled at that. "Good point!"

Over the next few courses, Blaine found it easy to jump into conversations with Kurt's friends. He cleared his throat and stood up. "Excuse me. I have to use the restroom."

"You okay?" Kurt asked, slightly concerned.

Blaine chuckled. "Yes, Mom. I'm fine."

Kurt just rolled his eyes and watched as his boyfriend headed to the restroom. He turned back to his friends and noticed Chase eyeing someone wistfully. He followed his gaze, frowned, and turned back to Chase. "Chase!"

Chase snapped from his thoughts. "Huh?"

"I catch you staring at my boyfriend like that again, I will end your career." Kurt threatened with a glare.

"Ooh!" Liam and Carson chorused.

"Wow- overprotective much?" Sami asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kurt, there will always be someone appreciating Blaine's beauty and checking him out." Larissa claimed. "Face it- he's hot!"

"I'm aware of that, and I may not be able to stop people from hitting on him or checking him out when I'm not around, but, when I am around…" Kurt shrugged.

"Whatever, Edward Cullen." Dawn snickered. Kurt glared at her.

"Hey, it's not so bad, is it? I check you out all the time!" Chase exclaimed. "Doesn't mean I'm going to act on it."

"Yeah. Plus, how many times have you been mistaken for a model for Vogue?" Sami asked.

"Like….five…" Kurt shrugged. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

XXX

Blaine washed his hands slowly. He was having fun, but…a nagging feeling still crept in him. He still could not figure out why James stole his money and abandoned him. He sighed and looked into the mirror. "Well…at least he didn't steal my kidney." He chuckled at his own pop culture reference. He took a deep breath. "Okay…just get it together, Blaine Anderson. You're here to get your mind off of it. Who knows? You can get at least eight friends out of this!" He threw water on his face to clear his head. As he patted himself dry, he heard a stall door creak open and froze._'Dammit. Someone heard me! Now they're going to tell Kurt!'_ He heard soft footsteps and turned around. He gasped in shock at his company and dropped his dampened washcloth.

"Coop?"


	5. Chapter 5

Blaine stood rooted to the ground in shock. A lump formed in his throat as he stared at his very much alive older brother. Cooper walked towards Blaine giving him an apologetic grin.

"Hey, Blainey." Cooper cleared his throat. "I, uh…I owe you the biggest apology and explanation."

"I…I saw you." Blaine said in a small, quivering voice. "You were dead on a cot in a body bag. You weren't breathing."

"Yeah…that was actually a wax model of me." Cooper admitted.

Blaine tried to process what he just heard. Anger started boiling up inside him. "How could you fake your death?"

"I was protecting you."

"Protecting me?!" Blaine exclaimed in disbelief.

"Some people were after me. I didn't want them to use you against me." Cooper explained.

"And you couldn't trust me. Is that it?" Blaine asked angrily.

"No. That's not it at all."

They heard the door open. "Blaine? You okay in here?" Kurt walked in. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Cooper. He looked from Cooper to Blaine, who shrugged.

"I just found out." Blaine replied simply. "He faked his death to…protect me from people who were after him."

Kurt took a minute to process this and turned to glare at Cooper. "How the hell could you do this to your brother? To your _family_?"

"Believe me, I didn't want to." Neal insisted. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

Kurt scoffed and shook his head. Blaine raised his eyebrow at him, then turned to Cooper. "Okay…Coop- or do you prefer Neal?"

"Either is fine." Neal shrugged.

"What was so bad that you had to resort to faking your death?" Blaine asked.

"It's a long story. I'd rather you two just come to my apartment tomorrow-" Neal was cut off by Kurt.

"Oh, so you'll have time to come up with more lies? Hell no! You'll tell us right now." Kurt declared angrily.

Blaine glanced between the two and held up a finger to Neal, and pulled Kurt aside. "Kurt, I appreciate your concern, but this is between my brother and me."

"I'm sorry. But I'm having a really difficult time understanding how-how some people die for real, while others choose to leave." Kurt stated, his voice quivering.

Neal looked confused at that. Blaine noticed and sighed. "Kurt's stepbrother died a couple of months ago."

"Yikes, I'm so sorry for your loss." Neal said sincerely.

"Thank you." Kurt replied coldly. He folded his arms.

"You were about to tell us what was so bad you had to fake your death." Blaine pointed out.

"Well, the first thing you should know is that I am an ex-con artist turned CI for the FBI." Neal admitted. "I'm not an actor in the sense that I'd be reading from a script."

Blaine looked even more shocked. "But the commercial series…?"

"Was just a little something I did to earn a little extra cash." Neal replied.

"The NCIS and Transformers sides?"

"Stolen." Neal admitted again.

Blaine scoffed, shook his head, and raised his arms out in disbelief. "Unbelievable. Our entire relationship is a complete lie!"

"I didn't want you to know who I was." Neal explained calmly. "I didn't want you to grow up with a…a criminal for a brother."

"Instead, I got a brother who criticized me and told me how much I suck at everything, and wasn't there for me." Blaine replied, folding his arms.

Neal stopped and sighed, slightly guilty. "Okay, I'll admit- not the best cover."

"Yeah." Blaine nodded.

"But…honestly? Which would you rather have?" Neal asked.

"I'd rather you be completely honest!" Blaine exclaimed, angrily glaring at Neal. "Yeah, I would have been…you know, embarrassed by you, but, at least I wouldn't have felt like I wasn't significant and-and worthless!"

Both Kurt and Neal stared at him in shock. Neal looked even guiltier. "I never wanted or intended for you to feel that way."

"Nice. That almost sounds genuine." Kurt complimented.

Neal was starting to get annoyed. "Kurt, I am sorry, but, how is this any of your business?"

"Put yourself in my position, Cooper-Neal. Would you defend_ your_ boy- uh, girlfriend?" Kurt raised an eyebrow.

Neal paused and stared at Kurt. He had a point. If Sara's sister showed up after all these years and acted like nothing happened….but then again, Sara would kick Neal's ass if he intervened. He nodded. "Okay, good point. I really am sorry I put you through this, Blaine. It's just…I have trust issues."

Blaine laughed softly and ducked his head. "Must run in the family."

Neal nodded in agreement. "Speaking of family, have you ran into Dad yet?"

"Yeah, actually." Blaine sighed in resignation. "He conned me out of all my money."

Neal stared in shock. Sure, James screwed him (Neal) over, but…he never thought he'd target Blaine. "Oh my God, Blaine. I'm so sorry. How much did he steal?"

"About ten grand. Why?" Blaine asked.

Neal did a quick count in his head. He doesn't have that much, but… "I have some money. Not a lot, but…"

"Thanks, but no thanks, Coop. I don't want your money." Blaine shook his head.

"Okay. Just trying to help." Neal replied. He pulled out a folded piece of paper. "This is my number and address if you want it. I…can't go more than two miles outside my radius- I wear an ankle bracelet monitor." He lifted up his leg to show them.

Blaine took a deep breath. Well…at least there won't be a chance of him abandoning him again. He took it. "Thank you."

Neal nodded. "I'll uh…let you get back to your party." He walked out.

Blaine exhaled sharply and swallowed back tears.

XXX

Kurt and Blaine decided to leave early. Kurt told his friends that Blaine wasn't feeling well, so they decided to head home. Blaine stormed angrily to their limo.

"It's like…I can't trust _anyone_ anymore!" Blaine exclaimed. He pulled open the door.

Kurt climbed in. "You're being a bit dramatic. Yeah, you have a right to be angry, but, I wouldn't go as far as to say you don't trust anyone."

Blaine huffed and folded his arms. He was glad his brother really isn't dead, but…he also didn't know if he could ever speak to him again. Kurt sighed and stared at his boyfriend in sympathy.

"You know, I'm trying to put myself in your position." Kurt spoke as he pulled Blaine close and held him. "If Finn lied to everyone about being dead, I'd be pissed, too. I would find it very hard to trust him. But, I'd also ask for an explanation, then I'd forgive him."

"So….you're saying I should forgive Neal? For lying to me my entire life?" Blaine asked.

Kurt shrugged. "It's up to you, really."

Blaine sighed. Kurt had a good point. Besides, if he can forgive Sebastian for blinding him, Sue for ruining his parents' credit score, and Tina for having such a creepy crush on him; he can forgive his brother, right? He sat up. "I think I'm gonna go tomorrow. To Neal's apartment."

"Are you sure? He might screw you over again." Kurt replied.

"I know. But…he's my family. I need to give him at least one more chance." Blaine shrugged. "Come with me tomorrow."

"What?" Kurt asked, surprised.

"You're an excellent judge in character. I trust your instincts."

"Blaine…as flattered as I am that you asked, this is something that you need to do alone." Kurt replied.

"Why?" Blaine asked to his own surprise. "Why do I have to do it all alone?"

"I did a lot of stuff on my own." Kurt shrugged. "Struggling alone is what made me stronger. It made me who I am. You are so used to depending on other people and needing other people."

"So…what? You're saying I'm weak?" Blaine asked, getting a little hurt and choked up.

"No! God, no. You are a strong person." Kurt said earnestly. "Stronger than you know. Which is why I think you should go alone. This time."

Blaine swallowed and nodded. He snuggled into Kurt's chest and wrapped his arms around him. Kurt wrapped his own arms around Blaine, held him close, and kissed the top of his head. "What do you think about all this?"

Kurt sighed inwardly and closed his eyes. "Honestly? I'm torn. Part of me is hoping that you won't trust him or see him again. Another part of me thinks that…well…" He swallowed. "at least your brother is still alive." He got choked up and cleared his throat. "And yeah, I know- I've been bringing him up a lot tonight. Sue me."

Blaine chuckled slightly. "You miss him. It's natural. How many times did I mention Cooper when I thought he died?"

"A lot." Kurt chuckled. He sighed again. "I know it sounds selfish, but- and I promise this will be the last mention of him for a while- I wish it were Finn who faked his death."

"Then again, Finn didn't have this whole secret double life you didn't know about." Blaine pointed out.

"True."

XXX

The next morning, Mozzie entered Neal's apartment holding a folder. "Hey, how'd it go last night?"

"Better than I expected." Neal replied. "What's up?"

"Remember the Dutchman?" Mozzie asked and threw the folder on the table and opened it up. "He's out of prison."

Neal studied the report. "Huh." He could feel his wheels turning. He set down the report and turned to Mozzie. "Moz…if worse comes to worse and if we can't get James to confess, we are going to have to…shall we say, bend the law a little."

Mozzie nodded in agreement. "What'd you have in mind?"

"Making a deal with the devil."


End file.
